An Act of Faith
by Dr.Bartholomew.J.Tucker
Summary: Having lost her mother and only parent to a White Fang attack, Mato Kuroi is raised by her godfather, General James Ironwood and the staff at the Specialist Academy. However, instead of remaining at the Atlas Specialist Academy, Ironwood decides to enroll her in Beacon Academy. ((Ran out of room...)) M for language, violence, etc. Warning, this story is a bit darker than my others.
1. Chapter 1

Finally! I'm really sorry for taking this long to rewrite my BRS RWBY crossover. I was having a bit of trouble with the interdimensional aspect of crossing two entirely different worlds over, seeing as BRS took place on Earth and RWBY is on Remnant. That's when I remembered something. I've already RWBY-fied Black Rock Shooter! I'm an avid roleplayer on Google Plus, and one of the communities I'm part of is a RWBY based roleplay community. All characters must originate from Remnant, and cannot come from other universes. However, if you can manage to create a passable profile for a character from another fandom, which means using technology and materials found in RWBY (no magic allowed), you can do a face claim for that character. I have managed to create Jinx from LoL, Doctor Who, Darth Vader, a Star Wars OC,a Stella the Guardian, and of course Black Rock Shooter. I figured that that version of Black Rock Shooter would be perfect for this story. Now, I am still looking to pair her with Neo, but it might be a little more difficult than originally planned... you'll see why shortly. Any pairing names you want used in the story? Or do you want another pairing all together? I'm open to suggestions on this one.

In other news, you've probably read The Guardian of Remnant by now. If you haven't, then you need too. I personally think it's pretty damn good by my standards. For those of you who have, you all know that I'm about to go into Basic Training for the Army. It's going to be hard for me to get my stories posted for a while. BT doesn't finish until earlyy next year, and then I have AIT for my MOS, Intelligence Analyst, until the middle of June. I'll try to update during AIT, but please be patient. I go through about five versions of one story before posting it.

FanFiction News: The Warlock's Destiny has only received a single vote so far, and I'm starting to feel a bit frustrated. I know I have plenty of readers who want to voice their opinion, so where the hell are you!?

Now, let's see who we have here to do our disclaimer... Oh hell... It's John. You haven't met him yet, but try to picture a futuristic mashup of Clint Eastwood (the cowboy) and John Wayne. Very gruff, and takes shit from no one. Let me just call him... I think he's on a job.

M:*Trying to place a video call...*

J: What the- What the hell do you want, Kuroshio!? I'm busy! *Gunshots ring out* Damn it! *Returns fire*

M: John! You agreed to do my disclaimer, remember?

J: Shit, that was today? What story it-SHIT! *Ducks down as bullets fly over his head.* The bastards have automatic weapons!

M:Uh... RWBY and Black Rock Shooter, the first one's pronounced Ruby and is owned by Monty Oum, and the second one is Huke!

J: Fine! Marethyu doesn't own either of those blasted stories! All rights go to their creators! Hey! Get back here you little varmint! *Drops the phone and runs off shooting.*

M: John? Mr. Black? Huh... Hope he gets the target... Oh well, I suppose that works for a disclaimer.

That was John Black, bounty hunter and one of the main protagonists in Project Valkyrie. Nice guy, isn't he? So, now that all the legal mumbo jumbo is out of the way, let's get to the story!

Chapter One: Memories

Kyoto Settlement Region, Fifteen km outside Menagerie

Winter, Twelve Years ago.

General James Ironwood frowned, disturbed by the sight before him. Three hours ago, a colleague and old friend from his days in the military academy, Sing Love-Kuroi, has contacted him with an urgent plea for help. He couldn't understand what was happening seeing as she had dropped the scroll during the call, but he could tell something was very wrong. The usually calm and peaceful woman had cussed up a storm as she fought an unknown assailant. James immediately gathered his personal team and set out with a small platoon of Knights, rushing to her aid. But he was too late.

The Kyoto Settlement Region was small, with only a few hundred people and a volunteer militia defending it, but it had always been fairly quiet. Now it was even more so. Houses had been ransacked, a few barns looked as if bombs had hit them, and local businesses were looted and vandalised. This wasn't a Grimm attack. He clenched a gloved fist and turned to his second in command, "Any word on Sing?"

Linda, the team's Gunnery Sergeant, frowned and shook her head, gripping her sniper rifle tightly, "No, sir. Multiple casualties have been reported by the Knights, but none matching your friend's description. Maybe she managed to escape into the forest?"

James grit his teeth and gestured to the settlement, "Tell me. Gunny, does it look like anyone escaped into the forest?"

"Well, Sergeant Kelly has yet to report any outward leading tracks, so no... Hold on, I'm receiving a report from Beta team... They have recovered Sing Love's body... I'm sorry, General. She's dead."

General Ironwood hung his head, quietly mourning the loss of his friend, "Cause of death?"

"GSW to the upper back. She was killed from behind. It looks like she took some of her attackers with her. Team Beta says they're White Fang." Linda frowned in concern and put her hand up to the earpiece she was using, "Beta Team, could you repeat that? Beta Team, report..."

Both soldiers snapped to attention as gunshots rang out in a nearby building.

James cursed and drew his handgun, "That's Sing's house! Come on!"

They made a mad dash to the dwelling, bursting through the entrance to find an odd sight. A young, black haired girl was struggling in the grip of Frederic Johnson, James's assault specialist. At her feet lay an Atlasian Knight with a white katana sticking out of its metal chest. James frowned and ordered Fred to let the child go. The soldier released her as if burned and snapped to attention, "She came out of nowhere, sir! One moment the knight was checking the woman's body for vitals, and then a freaking pig sticker was put through its chest!"

James cleared his throat, "That 'pig sticker' is a katana, and that katana belonged to Sing Love..." He turned to the girl, who had darted behind an overturned table and was glaring at him accusingly with brilliant blue eyes that seemed to glow with an inner light. Sighing, he knelt down to her level. "Hello there, girl. My name's James Ironwood. Can you tell me who you are?"

She continued glaring at him, refusing to answer the question. James quickly held his hands up, trying to think of anything to get through this situation, "Where are your parents, girl?"

The child averted her eyes, the inner light dimming as she shakily pointed at the deceased Sing Love.

"Mato? You're Sing's daughter?"

She nodded slowly and ducked behind the table. The general quickly gestured to Frederic to cover Sing's body, "Mato... I'm so sorry... We tried to get here as fast as we could. Your mother called me earlier, when this attack happened... Mato, can you tell me what happened?"

James waited for an answer as his comrade threw a blanket over Sing's corpse, only to hear a quiet sob from behind the table. He threw a surprised look at Linda, who just rolled her eyes and carefully made her way behind the table, "Mato... come here kid..." She knelt down and picked the young girl up, holding her close. "It's gonna be okay..." Mato just cried harder into the woman's uniform, completely breaking down. Linda looked at James in shock. Not a single sound left Mato's mouth.

General Ironwood shook his head, "Sing never said Mato was mute... In fact, she loved to tell stories of how she wanted to be like her mother and have a voice based semblance..."

Linda sighed, "She must be in shock. Mutism can occur after a particularly traumatic experience like this. If she can speak, it might take years for her to recover."

A brunette woman wearing a green camouflage suit stepped into the home, stomping snow from her boots, "I heard what happened, sir. There's no sign of anyone out in the forest, not that I can blame them. A snow storm is coming in from the north, so we need to leave quickly. As for the attack, I think they came in on VTOLs. At least three of them landed a quarter mile west of here and took off about an hour and a half ago. The thruster scorch marks are already cold."

The man nodded reluctantly, "Have John call back the search parties. We'll leave the Knights here to keep watch in case someone survived and decides to come back."

Linda cleared her throat softly, "Sir... What about the girl?"

General James Ironwood sighed, wondering if he was going to regret this in the future, "Bring her with us. She can stay with me until we find more suitable guardians..."

Three weeks later

"Sir, I have some information concerning Mato Kuroi's situation..."

General Ironwood sighed, pinching the bridge of his noae as he spoke to Linda over a scroll, "Thank you, Gunney... What did you find?"

"It's Sing Love's will, sir... Are you sitting down?"

He scowled and looked around his office, "Just spit it out, Sergeant. I don't have time for formalities."

"Well... The lawyers are being a bit picky with how they present their information, but I managed to read the will. It names you as the godfather."

James nodded, "Yes, and?"

"She wanted you to take Mato if something were to happen to her."

Then it clicked. James nearly dropped the scroll as his good hand went numb, "Wait... You're saying that..."

"Yeah... Legally speaking, Mato Kuroi is now your daughter."

The military man nearly groaned, "Are we sure she didn't have any relatives that could take her?"

He could practically hear Linda smirking as she replied, "Sorry sir, but Sing had no family. General, it sounds almost as if you don't want to have Mato around."

"No, no... It's not that..." He sighed. "I'll go talk to Mato and try to explain the situation to her..."

Linda spoke quietly, "General... I know it isn't exactly in our job description, but you know that Blue Team would be glad to help out, even John would take care of her."

"Thank you, Linda. I might have to take you up on that... Why don't you get the team together and come over to the Academy... I know classes don't begin for another six weeks, but..."

"I understand. We'll be over as soon as we can. Good luck, James."

He hung up, sitting there in mild shock. He had expected to send the girl off to live with an aunt or uncle, but this was completely unexpected. After a moment, he stood up and left the office. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind as he slowly made his way through the halls of the Atlas Specialist Academy. He had lived through a war, fighting in half of it. A thousand missions against Grimm and foreign threats alike. The general was no stranger to difficult situations. Hell, a good portion of his body was cybernetic... But this was something else entirely. He was about to tell a girl he barely knew, the daughter of a deceased woman with whom he hadn't contacted in three years, that he was suddenly her legal guardian? He couldn't possibly think of himself as her father, but legally speaking that's exactly what he was...

James stopped outside the vacant student dorm Mato was using, peering inside. Mato was curled up in a little ball on one of the beds, her back to the door. A large comforter was wrapped tightly around her. The poor girl hadn't spoken in the three weeks since James found her still protecting her mother's body. The katana, scythe, and duster used by her mother was buried with the woman, leaving Mato with only memories of Sing Love.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, James entered Mato's room and sat down next to her, placing a have on her shoulder, "Mato... It looks like you'll be staying here with me..."

Mato rolled over and stuck her head out of the blanket. Her electric blue eyes stared at him flatly, unnerving James with her dead, unfeeling expression. He noticed that her eye color wasn't the only odd thing about her. The girl's pupils were solid white instead of black, and he could just barely make out a set of concentric rings in the irises. She made no move to communicate her acceptance or understanding of the situation

The general sighed and looked at his gloved hands, "Listen... I know you don't want to be here... I know you're missing your mother... But I can't bring her back. What happened is done... But you can't just stay in here and waste away..."

A small glimmer of life appeared in Mato's eyes and she made a small expression as if to say, "Watch me."

General Ironwood almost smiled at her reaction and shook his head slightly, "Off course you would inherit your mother's stubborn streak... Why don't we start over. I am General James Ironwood, a friend of your mother."

He held his hand out to her, waiting patiently for her to respond in some way. Moving hesitantly, Mato slowly extended a pale, thin hand from her blanket and shook his hand. She still didn't speak, but Ironwood didn't care. It was a start.

 _ **So, what do you think of the new rewrite? I kept to my usual pattern of killing off someone in the beginning of every story, but I think this one might be a bit more heart wrenching. Sorry if this seemed a bit short, but I really just wanted to introduce the story here. I made Mato human, so she'll have emotions this time, but I also traumatized her to where she's a mute and her emotions are a bit askew. The next chapter or two will be about Mato's childhood as Ironwood's adoptive daughter.**_ _**Now. Any ideas about pairings? I will have her attend Beacon Academy, so pretty much all positions are open. However, I prefer Neo, Yang, and Ruby.**_ _**Neo: Two mutes on opposite sides of the tracks. Both of them are fiercely loyal to their guardians, and both are equally terrifying in a fight (albeit for opposite reasons. Neo has her untouchable style and Mato... Yeah... I'm pretty sure even Cinder would hesitate after seeing the rail thin Mato swinging a cannon around like it's nothing... With one hand.**_ _**Yang: The wild brawler and the strategic gunner. Yang's carefree, outspoken attitude will certainly clash against the quiet, "I-Will-Ignore-You-If-You-Aren't-A-Threat" vibes of Mato, and vise versa. The stubborn blonde would try over and over again to get Mato angry, eventually challenging her outright when Mato refuses to retaliate. Mato will of course obliterate her, but with Yang's style, she would end up liking Mato, and continue irritating the Atlasian girl in an attempt to get her to like her.**_ _**Ruby: The cute, innocent girl who just wants to make friends and the lonely girl raised to fight the enemy and nothing else. Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point, right? Ruby is almost like Mato from BRS, she wants to help others, no matter the cost. Ruby's innocent nature would catch Mato's attention, causing the cold warrior to want to protect her in a way(?) I don't know, this one sort of lacks a story line... But I still contest that they would make a cute couple. Not to mention Ruby would be drooling when she gets a look at the Black Rock Cannon.**_ _**Well... No matter which way I play it, Weiss may be getting the boot. The only problem with that is the team name... I suppose RBIY ((Mato Kuroi-Ironwood)) would work as Team Ruby... I will certainly have her as the rich snobby brat who chewed Ruby out for tripping over her luggage... Maybe Mato can save her alongside Blake? If Blake trying to humble Weiss fails and she begins attacking her for disparaging the Schnee name, Mato could step in and just look at Weiss to shut her up. The heiress would probably recognize the general's daughter through Winter... Yeah, I like that.**_ _**Sorry for keeping you, signing off!**_ _**Ego Mortem Pestifer Mundi!**_


	2. MAJOR AN

_**Alright, this is a major announcement! I have just created my very own page! For a while now, I've been receiving suggestions that I try to get paid for my work, and for the most part, I've dismissed them. After all, I enjoy writing, and even more so I enjoy people enjoying my work. I didn't want to have people pay for it. But recent events have left me... well, I'm dealing with a case of fraud and a recent pay problem wiped my account. I have student loans to pay, a phone bill, and a credit card to pay off. It isn't completely FUBAR yet, but I think it's getting there. I dislike asking for help (my parents have always had a field day with that one), but I think it's time to suck up my pride and turn to my fans. I know it I don't have that large of a fan base compared to most authors on this site. Heck, why would I? I don't exactly write mainstream stuff... However, I think it's time to suck up my pride and start looking for some help. My page is www. Writing_Soldier. I'm not asking for or expecting much, and I'm betting most of the people here can't really help... but if you could spread the word, that would be great. I need all the help I can get. Now... I think it's time to answer a few concerns I noticed in my reviews. Especially in "The Force of Change."**_

 _ **So... I think the biggest question I keep getting is: "When will I update my stories?"**_

 _ **Well, there are some thing's you need to know. My updates may or may not happen, dependant upon my schedule. I am a soldier in the United States Army. I have duties to attend to throughout the day, and sometimes I just don't have the time to get to this. I am however, concentrating a little bit more on "The Force of Change" right now, so you can expect more regular updates on that. In fact, the next chapter should come out within the next twenty-four hours of this update being made. So... head on over there if you want some of my writing.**_

 _ **Second: I have received several requests to see/review rough drafts of other stories... I'm actually confused by this. I'm not a professional writer. My mother is definitely a better writer than me as a teacher and someone who has taught up to college level classes. (She's a math teacher right now, and the best in Texas.) She was the one who taught me how to read and write before I really even started in school. I have her to thank for everything I know about writing (really, I'm pretty sure she could teach some of my old high school teachers a few things). As for reviewing and giving suggestions to said writers...**_

 _ **I'm going to give you a bit of advice. I've been writing since my freshman/sophomore year of high school. My first attempt at writing a story, for those of you who remember that far, was a ten chapter, 900 word story full of errors and problems. I have actually put more time and effort into my writing than... well, just about anything else, really. I think the only other "legitimate" thing I do more than write is play music. The point is, just work at it. I don't write like people were taught in school. There's no rough draft, no brainstorming, nothing of the sort. Everything you see on my page is completely free-written. It's my raw thoughts and how I see things playing out. Minimal planning and editing. Even what you're seeing now is simply my thoughts on the matter. I've come a long way from the days of the first Black Rose... The "Force of Change" has already grown into a ten chapter, 30,000 word novella. I love to write, and I'm glad others love to read my stories. If you already enjoy what you're doing, then keep on doing it. If you really want suggestions on your writing, then don't just ask one person. Post your chapters! Your best critics won't always come from people more experienced than you, but the ones who actually read your stories! Post the stories and then let the readers decide. If you want me to look at it afterwards, then you can just PM me the link! I enjoy reading stories as much as I enjoy writing!**_

 _ **Number Three: This is concerning some of my stories that people have been anxiously been awaiting updates for stories such as: "An Act of Faith," "Tomorrow's Destiny V2," and my BRS/Harry Potter Crossovers. I can assure you, there are chapters in the works. I actually lost a lot of work on "Claws and Wands" due to a computer crash... Really need to get a new one at some point... But that's later down the road. MUCH later. Just be patient, and your chapters will come. Like the saying goes, "A watched pot never boils."**_

 _ **Number Four: This is actually an extra note concerning the page. For those who donate the most, you will receive a cameo in one of my stories. As time goes on, and I get more time on my hands, the rewards will increase. I will try and take commissions for my music covers if I ever manage to do any.**_

 _ **Number Five: This is a shoutout to my brother. I won't say his name, but you know who you are. It's annoying trying to communicate with you on this site if you skirt around the shadows and only comment as a guest. For crying out loud, it takes two minutes to make a basic profile on this site! Make one!**_

 _ **Alright... Now we come to the biggest thing I saw on my reviews for "The Force of Change." These are answers to reviews put out by a guest going by the name of Axcel!**_

 ** _1\. Concerning Vader's title. You're right on the Supreme Commander part, I just like the sound of High Commander. It gives it that shock and awe feeling. As for the Lord Vader shite, Lord is his title and official capacity within the Empire, while Darth Vader is his name. It's like a Lord in old England. He is a Sith Lord, yes, but no one really knows what that is. So, he has the title of Lord, and since his name is Darth Vader, that makes him Lord Darth Vader. According to the Imperial Census, his name really is Darth Vader, which is why Leia literally calls him Darth. It isn't giving him a title, it's saying his first name!_**

 ** _2\. Concerning the Lightsaber: While it's entertaining to think of a lightsaber as some sort of contained laser weapon, the truth is that it's just not scientifically possible. A laser would be invisible, whether it's contained or not, and the amount of energy it would have to put out to cut through durasteel is equivalent to that of a small star. Looking at it from a scientific standpoint, you need something that fills these requirements._**

 ** _a. Hot enough to _melt_ through steel, not cut it._**

 ** _b. Hisses and hums as it moves through a medium_**

 ** _c. produces Ozone and Ionized gasses as it travels through the air._**

 ** _If we were to follow these three requirements, then the only suitable material is plasma. Superheated, ionized gasses that can be manipulated to create a glowing blade. Using electromagnetic fields, one can contain the plasma, aka an Emitter Shroud. The sound generated upon activation, is actually very similar to that of a plasma torch being activated._**

 _ **2: Concerning Ozpin's assumption about the Empire. Remember, Ozpin is very close friends with another military commander. Despite James's disciplinary attitude, he is still very caring about the people surrounding him, and doesn't generally make death threats or outright kill people. Vader has killed nearly a hundred men in a single night, more than half of those deaths occurring simply because they were in his way. He already has made several threats, one in particular being a direct threat, to Ozpin's life. And since Vader already admitted to being the High/Supreme Commander of the Galactic Empire, he knows that Vader is lying when he says "superiours." There is only one other person Vader could possibly be referring to when he says "report to his superiours." The Emperor. Also, he admitted to being second in command, a Dark Lord of the Sith (what good, benevolent empire would put a Dark Lord in charge?), and that he had the authority to arrest and kill anyone within the borders of said Empire. Glynda was watching that previously.**_

 ** _3\. Concerning Glynda: Glynda was the one who watched Vader ruthlessly cut down over a dozen men with no effort at all, during which he was in fact _toying_ with them. He's threatened Ozpin already, she knows he was ready to kill the Malachite twins for attacking him, and he straight up admitted to killing thousands of people with his bare hands and millions, if not billions more through his orders! Also, he states that he wishes to call upon the Empire to assist him with leaving the planet, and judging from his words, that means they will be coming to subjugate the planet as well. She is thinking about the students when considering the Rebel Alliance. She doesn't want the students to be hurt or subjugated by an Imperialistic threat from beyond the planet's confines._**

 ** _4\. Concerning Vader's saber: If you notice, I specifically stated that he used a Limiter Ring to generate the required dampening energy to convert a Sith Saber to a training saber. Yes, it is something I just threw in there, but I needed to keep him from outright killing his students due to their own incompetence. Neo's saber is an old Jedi blade, meaning it has the required settings. Vader's saber is a Sith blade, meaning he had to use an accessory to make it safer._**

 ** _5\. The Emperor is an idiot sometimes._**

 ** _Alright... I think that covers everything. Remember, even if you can't donate, then try to spread the word around. Who knows maybe I'll get more readers out of this!_** **_Sincerely,_** **_Dr. Bartholomew J. Tucker._**


	3. A Walk Down Memory Lane

_**Welcome back to a story I bet many of you have forgotten! I'm having some editing issues with some of the other stories, as well as work taking up most of my schedule. Also, I'm writing a book now! I think you've even met one or two of the characters if you've paid attention to my other stories. But that's enough for now. It's time to get to the story! I'll try to get some of my more popular stories updated as soon as I can!**_

General Ironwood sighed, rubbing his face in frustration. He had fought in wars, been shot and then blown up, had half of his body replaced with cybernetics, and ran the most prestigious military academy on Remnant. And yet nothing prepared him to deal with raising a child with PTSD. According to Sing Love, she had always been a bit sickly due to an excess of aura, but now she was more skittish than a Snow Hare in early spring. She jumped at the slightest sound, and none of Blue Team could get her anywhere near the firing range. It had been five years since she had watched her mother die in front of her. Since she had wielded Sing's White Blade and used it to take down an Atlasian Knight.

Five years since James Ironwood had become a father.

An urgent beeping noise tore him from his reverie, letting him know that someone was at his door. With a sigh, he pressed a button under his desk to unlock the door, "Come in…"

John walked in, snapping a crisp salute before collapsing in a chair. James raised an eyebrow at the man, who looked more exhausted than someone saying his full rank and name Master Chief Petty Officer John Smith. Most people just called him Chief, or Master Chief if they wanted a little more formality. The seasoned veteran cut an imposing figure. Nearly seven feet tall, standard regulation buzz cut, and blue eyes that could shoot down a Nevermore with their gaze, the man was an absolute titan amongst the other Specialists. Right now though, it looked like he could use a stiff drink. He sighed, shaking his head, "James… I'm not sure what we can do. She won't be able to survive out there without some sort of firearm, but we can't get her within fifty metres of the firing range. She's just… I don't think… James, I don't think she's cut out to be a specialist."

Ironwood blinked in surprise, rather curious at his friend's somewhat blunt assessment. Leaning forward in his chair Ironwood scrutinized the man in front of him, at the same time thinking of Mato. In retrospect, he hadn't exactly been father of the year. John and his team had practically raised the now thirteen year old girl, and trying their best while they were at it as well. He frowned, standing up, "Let's go talk to her. You can tell me a bit about what's going on while we walk."

The marine specialist nodded, sluggishly getting to his feet and following the general out of his office, "Well, at first, we thought that she was just a bit scared of loud noises, but that clearly isn't the case. No, Linda managed to figure out that it's the weapon itself that terrifies Mato. She refuses to come anywhere near us when we have our sidearms. Hell, even water guns are enough to set her off. It's just… difficult. I understand you want her to be a specialist, but-"

"Excuse me?" General Ironwood stopped, looking sharply at John. "You think I want her to be a specialist?"

John's mouth went dry as he realized the potential blunder he made, "Well, sir… She's your daughter. Most people would assume that's what you would want her to be. Sort of like a Heiress to your legacy."

James sighed, shaking his head, "I appreciate the gesture, Chief. However, while I do think it's vital that she learns to defend herself, she doesn't have to be a specialist if she doesn't want to…" James frowned, but this time it wasn't towards his marine. An idea had hit him as he recalled what Sing Love had specialized in. "John, how is she at close quarters?"

"CQC? Well, we never tested that. Usually, you need to get marksman qualifications on a rifle and sidearm before we start combatives training."

James nodded, mentally cursing himself for not remembering that. "Alright, I want you to begin that as soon as possible. I'll try and get her onto a firing range."

"Understood, sir. Mato is probably in her quarters, down the hall and to the left. I need to get with Fred, see if we can fit her into a combatives session…" John took off at a light jog, already formulating a plan to convince Fred to teach Mato a little hand to hand.

John made his way to Mato's room, pausing outside the room to steel himself. He may have been a rather passionate man, but he never really had a way with words. That was more Ozpin's area. But now he had to convince a thirteen year old girl who was terrified of guns… To pick up a gun and use it. He sighed, knocking on the door lightly. After a few moments, it cracked open, and a single blue eye peered up at him. James cleared his throat, "Er… May I come in, Mato?"

There was a brief pause, but the smaller girl let her father in with a reluctant nod, opening the door completely. Ironwood stepped inside, bracing himself to see what a 13 year old would normally have in their room, only to be stunned when it was nearly as clean as his own. The bed was a bit ruffled, but she had probably been sleeping in it. And there was an extra small trainee uniform top tossed into the far corner of the room, but other than that the room was completely sterile… And lifeless. Even James had a few personal effects and items in his own quarters, but all Mato had… was one picture of Sing Love on her desk. James winced when the picture caught his eye, quickly looking away and redirecting his attention to Mato. His daughter still had on the grey bottoms to her uniform and a simple white t-shirt, her boots were already off and tucked neatly under her bed with her running shoes, leaving her in the regulation black socks. James's heart actually gave a sharp pang as he realized Mato was actually trying to emulate a soldier… And he didn't like that. She was still a child, after all. But he still needed to take care of something. "Mato… Mas-er… John has been telling me that you seem to have a problem going to the shooting range. Do you want to talk about it?"

Mato looked at James for a moment, before slowly shaking her head and pulling her knees up to her chin. In truth, she didn't know if she was scared of the guns. All she knew was that guns killed her mother, and they could kill her next. She didn't want that to happen!

James sighed, shaking his head, "Mato… You… Wait a moment. It isn't the gun, is it? Your mother… By Oum, I am so sorry, Mato. I should have been better at explaining things to you. Alright, I want you to close your eyes. I have an idea."

Mato looked at her guardian questioningly, unsure what to make of his request. Eventually, she nodded and did as he requested. Once that was done, James reached into his jacket, drawing his revolver, Winter's Wrath. He made sure the safety was on before gently taking Mato's hand and placing the pistol grip in her palm. He could practically feel Mato's confusion as he curled her fingers around the grip, holding it there tightly. "Alright, Mato… I want to to take a deep breath. In four counts, out four counts… In, out… Good. Now, I want you to open your eyes, but don't move. Just look at your hand."

Mato hesitantly did as she was told, her eyes growing wide and and her breathing nearly hysterical as she realized what was in her hand. To Ironwood's surprise though, she didn't move. Although, she might actually have been paralyzed from the fear. Ironwood gently cupped her chin, forcing her to look away from the weapon and into his eyes. "Mato… I understand a little bit of how you feel. A gun can be very dangerous… But on its own, it cannot hurt you. You've used a pencil right?"

Mato nodded yes, trembling in fear. But Ironwood refused to let her release her grip. She was going to have to learn at some point, and well… He didn't have the patience to have her go through years of therapy. "Well, a pencil can be just as deadly as this weapon. A weapon is a tool, completely indiscriminate of who or what it is used upon. If in your enemy's hands, then yes, a gun can hurt you… But the weapon is in your hand now. Is it hurting you Mato?"

Mato suddenly paused, her grip flexing slightly. She seemed confused again. No, the gun wasn't hurting her… but it still felt weird in her hand. A bit too… big. James smiled slightly once he realized that Mato wasn't about to pass out from hyperventilating, carefully removing the weapon and placing it back in his coat. "Mato… I think it's time we took you to the shooting range. I'm actually interested in how well you can shoot. Your mother was a natural with just about any weapon, and I'm wondering if she passed that on to you."

Mato perked up at the mention of her mother, and she turned a curious gaze to Ironwood.

"Yes, I knew your mother quite well. We actually went to this academy together. She was… well, she was certainly different from the run of the mill specialist…" He smiled fondly at the memories, before coming up with a plan. "How about this… You come with me to the shooting range, fire a few weapons so we can see where you're at, and then we can go into the city and I can tell you a bit about your mother?"

Mato bit her lip, nervous at the simple thought of the shooting range, but… Mr. Ironwood did know her mother, and now she knew that guns weren't going to hurt her as long as it wasn't pointed at her, or something didn't go wrong… Mato turned her unusual eyes towards Ironwood's jacket, where the gun had vanished. Then she nodded. It was best that she learned how to use a weapon, before the time came where it was needed, and she had no clue what to do.

Fifteen minutes and one short explanation about basic firearm safety later…

"Alright, Mato… This is a standard issue Excalibur 190. It fires a 5.56 lead round propelled by burn dust. It has a maximum effective range of 1600 metres, but we'll only be firing at 25 to 50 metres. Just to get you used to the feeling."

James watched as Mato got down into the prone position, propping herself up on her elbows and aiming down the sights. It was rather comical, seeing at the rifle was almost too big for the thirteen year old girl, but she managed to make it work. The general held his breath, pressing the button to activate the shooting range's close range preliminary target practice. Several holographic figures flickered into existence at twenty five metres, only to be blown away in a fraction of a second as Mato locked on and fired. James blinked owlishly, glancing down at his scroll to see that each shot Mato had taken was a direct head shot. All ten shots. _Huh… Beginner's luck?_

As if to contradict him, he decided to thrown in five fifty metre targets along with the previous ten metre targets… Only to have them blown away with a bare fraction of a second longer to aim. His jaw openly dropped at the sight. Mato was a natural!

"Well, what do you know… You actually got her to fire a gun." John had come out to the firing range when he couldn't find James and Mato, bringing the rest of his team with him, except for Fredrick. Fred and Kelly were openly gaping at the spectacle before them. A thirteen year old girl was showing more proficiency with a rifle than most grown men with ten years of training. Linda, the team's marksman, just chuckled and brushed a bit of red hair out of her eyes.

"Looks like she could have some real talent in sharpshooting… May I?" Linda gestured towards Ironwood, asking for the scroll in his hands. The General shrugged after a moment's debate, and handed it over. She grinned, tapping a few new settings into the shooting range and letting things play out. This time, instead of stationary targets at 25-50 metres, Mato was given a variable target set up to 125 metres. Silhouettes bobbed and weaved through the field in front of her, sometimes ducking behind silvery, holographic cover. Mato, being a thirteen year old girl, didn't really know any better, so she began the course without question. Blue Team and the General watched in amazement as the ravenette began sending rounds downrange with unnerving proficiency. Even Linda began to get worried when Mato's first magazine ran out and she switched with the spare one so quickly, that her initial magazine hadn't even hit the floor by the time she began firing again. NOt a single shot missed, not even the 125 metre range targets. Mato had some sort of instinct… She accounted for bullet drop before she knew what the term meant, and that was scarier than her accuracy. Eventually, the simulation finished, and no more targets appeared. Mato blinked in confusion, looking at the rifle in silence. The group of adults behind her waited in equal silence, concerned with her actions… Then she pulled the charging handle back, releasing one last bullet.

Linda burst out laughing, "She hit the double target! Two targets with one shot! Hell yeah!"

Mato jumped to her feet in terror, not realizing she had company. Once she realized it was just Blue Team (sans Fred), she relaxed, giving Linda a puzzled expression.

"Yeah, you did good kid. In fact, that was some of the best shooting I've seen in a while. I can't wait to see what you do with a real weapon in her hands. How did you know to account for bullet drop?"

Mato frowned, thinking carefully. Bullet drop? What was that? Did she mean adjusting for range? She looked out at the field, picturing it in her mind's eye. Then she looked back at Linda and mimed drawing back on a bow… no, a slingshot. Linda took a few seconds to figure out what she was doing, but when she did, a broad smile broke out across her face.

"Well, that explains a lot. You already had a little practice."

"Linda, I think this goes beyond practice." James peered at Mato closely, watching as a sort of blue haze faded away from her left eye. "I'm pretty sure she just tapped into a bit of her aura, and possibly her semblance."

Kelly grinned, shrugging her shoulders, "Aww man… I was hoping to get another speedster, like me!"

"Rabbit, can it. A thirteen year old girl just beat your best score for that exercise."

Kelly looked wounded at John's statement, but everyone could tell she wasn't serious. John cleared his throat and looked to Ironwood, "Fred agreed to giving Mato combatives courses starting next Monday. He said something about figuring out the right weapon for her…"

James nodded quickly, taking the gun from Mato and handing it off to Linda, "Right, tell Fred to let me worry about that. I'm taking Mato into Atlas City. You have the rest of the day off."

The group of soldiers snapped a hasty salute to their superior, before hurrying off to enjoy their brief bit of freedom. Mato looked up at Ironwood, who just shook his head and smiled, "Come along Mato, let's see if we can catch a VTOL to the city."

Thirty minutes later

Mato looked around in a bit of confusion and amazement. She had never actually seen Atlas City, having been completely unconscious when they brought her to the academy. The city was a pristine example of Atlas's technological might. Everything was clean, sharp, and in perfect focus. Not a single detail was out of place. Atlasian Knights roamed the streets alongside Specialists, acting as the Kingdom's defense force. Everyone seemed calm and peaceful, if a bit stiff. Ironwood looked around for a moment, before gesturing for Mato to follow him and taking off at a brisk walk down the street. Since he obviously knew what was what, Mato hurried after him. Despite her rather sickly, pale exterior, Mato was relatively fit. Even still, the shorter girl had to practically jog in order to keep up with the much taller man. After about five minutes of silent movement, they came to a halt in front of a small weapon shop. Mato looked at Ironwood questioningly, but didn't object as he guided her into the business, sighing softly. He looked around at the rather unusual weapons, picking up a silvery chakram with a faraway look in her face, "Your mother came her all the time. She loved the strange weapons the owner made. In fact, the owner made her two weapons she used as a specialist. I'm sure you remember White Blade. She made that one herself as a cheaper weapon when she gave up her life as a specialist. But her original weapons..." Ironwood trailed off, lost in his memories.

A soft, sultry voice spoke up, drawing their attention to the shop counter, "Soul Arc and Ravenous Reaper. Yeah, I remember them well, General. Sing was an absolute tank with them." A tall woman with large, red horns peered at the duo with a curious, yet somewhat amused expression. "I never thought I'd see you again, Ironwood. I thought you hated my weapons."

She smirked, tucking a lock of dark, maroon hair behind her ear as Ironwood cleared his throat awkwardly, dragging himself out of his reviere, "My opinion hasn't changed of your... _unique_ weapons, Miss Irino. I am simply bringing Mato here to a place her mother frequented."

Saya's red eyes locked onto Mato, and she raised an eyebrow as if just noticing her, "Mato... Sing had a kid, eh? I never thought in a million years that would happen."

Mato stared at the woman warily, wondering suspiciously if that was some sort of insult to her mother. Ironwood put a hand on her shoulder, imperceptibly shaking his head when she looked up at him. He may have had Winter's Wrath on him… But Saya was a true master (or mistress) of CQC, and this shop was filled with weapons she had made by her own hand. He cleared his throat, "Miss Irino, Sing Love-Kuroi died five years ago. I am Mato's… guardian for lack of a better term."

Saya grinned, coming around the counter and gesturing for Mato to come to her. She crouched down to her level when she reluctantly came over, and whispered, "He's a bit of a prude, isn't he?" Mato's eyes widened in shock, and she looked back at Ironwood before shooting Saya an indignant glare. Saya chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. "Easy there, fireball. I'm just saying he isn't the best person to be raising a kid."

Ironwood narrowed his eyes, reaching out and gently, yet firmly pulling Mato back to his side, "Be that as it may, I am doing the best I can. I may not be winning any Father of the Year awards, but I trust you with children about as far as I can throw an Ursai."

Saya laughed, standing up with a sharp smirk that made her seem more like some sort of demon than the antelope faunus she was. "Oh, James… You and I both know you're at your wit's end here. I mean, why would you willingly come here?"

Ironwood's voice grew tight, and he looked around at the shop, "Mato watched her mother die in front of her… Shot from behind by a member of the little club you used to enjoy being part of."

Saya narrowed her eyes, the red orbs burning dangerously, "Key words being 'used to,' General. You would do well to remember that. Sing was like a sister to me. Why are you here?"

Mato shifted her gaze between the two adults, realizing that something was very wrong here. She shifted slightly, getting ready to make a run for it if things got ugly. Ironwood clenched his jaw, before gesturing at Mato, "I think Sing would have wanted Mato to have one of your weapons."

Whatever Saya was expecting, it certainly wasn't that. She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms with a suspicious glare at the human, "You don't want her to have one of your 'standard issue weapons?'"

Ironwood scowled, resisting the urge to tighten his grip on Mato, "The only ones who get 'standard issue weapons,' as you so eloquently put, are the foot soldiers. And I doubt Mato will fit the bill as a soldier… She's mute."

Once again, Saya seemed to stop, backing up to figure out what James just told her, "Wait… Mato, the daughter of Sing Love the hopeful idol, can't speak?"

Ironwood sighed tiredly, looking down at Mato, "We don't know yet. There's nothing physically wrong with her voice, but due to what she's witnessed…" The general trailed off, letting Saya fill in the blanks.

She nodded slowly, frowning, "Oh, I see… Do we know what her semblance is?"

"Same as her mother's."

Saya grinned at Mato's perplexed expression, "So, the little runt is an Overdriver? Alight, I can go dust off those plans for Sing's weapon but…" She circled the petite girl, muttering softly to herself. "I don't thing a massive scythe is going to do the trick here. She'll need a ranged weapon. Oooooh… Now, I haven't considered _that_ weapon in a long time."

Ironwood frowned, "Speak plainly, please."

Saya hurried behind the counter, pulling out a black case, "Oh, I think I know the perfect weapon for her. It'll be a few years before the full thing is finished, but I _do_ have one portion finished." She grinned, lifting a rather massive handgun out of the case. The weapon itself was bigger than Ironwood's Winter's Wrath, but the grip was made for much smaller hands. She held the weapon out to Mato, who just looked at it nervously.

Ironwood nudged her softly, nodding, "It's okay, Mato. Just remember what I said."

The short girl nodded, hesitantly taking the weapon from Saya. She blinked owlishly once she had it though, as it felt… Right. Sure, the grip was still a bit big, but nowhere near as bad as the general's weapon. She looked up at Saya in confusion. The woman grinned, "Looks like I was right. You'll grow into the weapon as you get older, but it's not complete either. That's just the base of the weapon. The real thing is much, much bigger. So, if your… _guardian_ does let you get this thing, I'm going to need you to work on that strength training. Though, if you're anything like your mother, I don't think that'll be a problem. Your mother was a natural athlete. Some monstrous strength there." She chuckled, heading to the back, and rummaging around. "Now, there is another weapon. It was supposed to be the sister weapon to you Mother's White Blade. I was going to give it to her as a sort of present before she went off the grid. But, I think she would want you to have it."

Ironwood and Mato were both surprised when Saya came back out with a simple black katana, thought it was easy to see that the base of the blade, just before the hilt, was a bit irregular. Saya carefully drew the blade, revealing a masterfully crafted weapon. She leveled the weapon in front of her, eyeing the edge carefully. Once she was satisfied, she sheathed it again and held it out to Mato. The mute girl gingerly accepted the weapon, carefully drawing it with a single hand, just like she had seen her mother do with her own weapon. She marveled at how light the blade was, though the hilt was still a bit big in her young hands. She had always felt a mild affinity with blades, preferring them over the loud, terrifying guns the soldiers used. Mato looked over at the General, feeling a happy smile tug at her lips. Ironwood glanced sharply at Saya, "How much for the weapons?"

Saya blinked owlishly, surprised at the sudden change, "What? Oh, um… The blade is free. I was going to give it to her mother as a gift, I might as well keep it that way. As for the other weapon… That's going to be a bit harder to determine, since it isn't actually finished. For now, how about a down payment of… a thousand Lien?"

Ironwood nodded, pulling out his checkbook. Though he disliked Saya's unorthodox methods of weapon making, even he had to admit she produced some of the best weapons in the kingdom, "How long will it take to finish the weapon? Mato will be old enough to begin senior combat schools in a few years. She's…" Ironwood suddenly glanced at Mato, an odd look in his eyes. "Mato, could you wait outside?"

Mato looked up at the general, before nodding quickly and slipping out the front door. She looked around at her surroundings curiously, wondering why Ironwood had told her to leave. It wasn't as if she could tell any secrets. She couldn't even speak… A small shuffling noise made her jump and spin around. Bright blue eyes locked with pink and white eyes, and she saw a girl about her age, with pink and brown hair. She grinned at Mato, a mischevious look in her eyes. Mato backed away nervously, waving silently at the girl. The new arrival cocked her head to the side, before silently signing: _Are you mute, too?_

'Too?' Mato took a moment to realize that this girl was like her as well. Mato nodded quickly, sending back with clumsy signing, _Yes. But I'm not very good with Standard Sign Langauge. I was taught Military Sign Language._

The girl nodded, grinning happily, _That's okay! I can understand both. What's your name? I'm Neopolitan. Though, my big brother calls me Neo._

 _I'm Mato… M_ ato tilted her head to the side, mimicking her new companion, _I've never had a brother. Is it nice?_

Neo giggled silently, her eyes lighting up, _You bet! Roman is the best!_

"Well, this is interesting!" Both girls jumped as a taller boy with flamboyant orange hair swaggered up to them, carrying a cane over his shoulder and twirling a bowler hat on one finger. "Who's your new friend, Neo?"

Neo grinned, eagerly signing to her 'brother.' Mato couldn't really see the family resemblance though. Step-siblings? No… Maybe surrogates. Mato was brought out of her train of thought as Torchwick knelt down and looked up at her pale face with a grin, "So, you're a mute too, eh? What's a cute little thing like you doing out here, all by yourself?"

 _I'm waiting for my guardian. He's inside talking to a…_ Mato hesitated, unsure how to sign that the woman inside was a weaponsmith.

Roman looked up at the shop, and nodded as if he understood. "Oooh… I'm guessing you want to be a Specialist then? And guardian?"

Mato nodded reluctantly, unsure how to explain her situation. Fortunately, she didn't have to as Ironwood came out at that moment, carrying the gun case and sheathed katana. Both Neo and Roman jumped back with startled, if somewhat terrified expression, though Roman seemed to recover rather quickly, "You're General Ironwood!"

Ironwood looked down in surprise at the small gathering, "Oh, Mato, I see you've er… made a few friends?"

Roman grinned cheekily, though Mato could see a strange sort of fear in his eyes, "Oh, I just came to fetch my little sis. She and Mato were looking like some ninjas, going back and forth with their sign language."

Ironwood glanced over at Mato, making a note of that tidbit of info, before looking back at Roman, "And who might you be, young man?"

Roman puffed out his chest grinning like a fox in a henhouse, "I'm Roman Torchwick, sir! And you'd best remember that name, 'cause you're going to be seeing a lot of it!"

Mato glanced at Neo while Torchwick pulled his rooster impression, only to find her staring intently back. After a moment, the ice cream girl sent a short, but rather bold message. _You're pretty cute. I hope we see each other again._

Before Mato could even think of reacting to Neo's statement, Roman had already said his goodbyes and had left, taking the girl with him. Mato stood there, somewhat dazed until Ironwood snapped his fingers in front of her, causing her to blink and look up.

"Miss Irino said your weapon should be completely finished in a year. A bit odd if you ask me, but she does know her stuff… Are you okay? Your face is rather red."

Mato reached up and touched her face, surprised to find how warm it was. After a moment, she nodded. Yes, she was fine.

Ironwood checked his watch, considering something, "Hmm… I suppose we have some time to get some ice cream. We can talk a bit more about your mother there…"

Mato nodded, trying hard to keep a smile off her face. She was getting to know about her mother, made her guardian proud(?), and possibly made a friend or two. Who knows, maybe she really would see Neo down the road. She quickly followed Ironwood down the street, a small smirk on her face. Maybe her life was looking up?

 _ **Annnnnnd done! Holy sh*t, I thought I'd never get a chapter done. Sorry for those who have been waiting ages for me to continue on this and other stories. I've been rather busy at work, and I've been writing my own book! I technically have several chapters written across multiple stories, but something about them just… doesn't click. I think with some heavy editing, I'll fix them up.**_

 _ **As for this story, we finally have Neo and Roman introduced. Now, since this is pre-pre-RWBY, they aren't hardened criminals yet. Well, Roman's a petty thief at the moment, which explains his reaction to Ironwood, but things have yet to get that far along. I think the next chapter will have Mato receiving her military training, her cannon, and we'll get the reason she's being sent to Beacon instead of staying at Atlas. Also, I think I figured out the problem of teams. Team RWBY will be left alone in terms of team members (Weiss is still getting bashed a bit), and I'll be bringing in a few more characters from the BRS world. Background characters for the most part, but they'll still be involved in the main plot. Meet, Team IYKI (Mato will be taking her father's name, so it's Kuroi-Ironwood). It stands for Iyoki, or Y**_ _ **ūki, which translates loosely to Hot Spirit/Blazing Spirit. I think it works nicely.**_


	4. Crushed Dreams and Fledgling Hope

_**Alright, no lengthy intros or outros here, just pure story. I went ahead and rapid fired this chapter so I can get back up to speed with the story. Tell me what you think! I NEED REVIEWS!**_

 _"Miss Irino said your weapon should be completely finished in a year. A bit odd if you ask me, but she does know her stuff… Are you okay? Your face is rather red."_

 _Mato reached up and touched her face, surprised to find how warm it was. After a moment, she nodded. Yes, she was fine._

 _Ironwood checked his watch, considering something, "Hmm… I suppose we have some time to get some ice cream. We can talk a bit more about your mother there…"_

 _Mato nodded, trying hard to keep a smile off her face. She was getting to know about her mother, made her guardian proud(?), and possibly made a friend or two. Who knows, maybe she really would see Neo down the road. She quickly followed Ironwood down the street, a small smirk on her face. Maybe her life was looking up?_

 _ **One Year Later**_

Mato looked down at the package, wrapped neatly in a deep blue wrapping paper with a white star pattern. She had all but forgotten about that day, too busy with training. Combatives, marksmanship, terrain navigation. The only thing keeping her from being a specialist was her age. A stray thought crossed her mind, and she mentally grinned. In retrospect, she would probably have a leg up on the competition when she did become a specialist.

"Mato, are you okay?"

The blue eyed ravenette blinked slowly, looking up at her legal guardian, General James Ironwood. Six years ago, her mother was killed, and she was left in his care. Or rather, the care of his personal soldiers, Blue Team. She supposed his attitude towards her had softened considerably in the last year, but it still seemed forced at times. He did try though, she had to give him that. But he just seemed lost when it came to people her age.

 _Children… But then again, you aren't really a child. Never had a childhood to begin with._

Mato's eyes widened ever so slightly, and she cut that train of thought off before it could go any further. For the last few months, she had been having dreams. Dreams about herself, but it wasn't her. This version of her. Her eyes were purple for starters, with bright red pupils, and an insidious purple aura hovered around her. She whispered to Mato in her sleep, telling her to do strange, horrible things. At first, it was just in her sleep, but recently she had begun hearing her during the day. Her reflection changed yesterday, nearly making her grateful she was mute. That had been a rather terrifying way to wake up fully in the morning.

"Mato?" Ironwood peered closely at her, taking note of the bags under her eyes. "Mato, are you sleeping well? You look tired. If you want, we can wait to open this tomorrow."

Mato shook her head quickly, turning her attention back to the box. It was about six feet in length, and actually took John and Fred working together to wrestle inside. She hesitanty began unwrapping it, wondering how the hell she was going to use a weapon this large, if a grown man five times her size couldn't lift it on his own. Underneath the paper, was a plain black case, with a note taped to the top. She peeled it off, reading the flowing script:

 _It's called the Black Rock Cannon. Don't worry about the weight, your semblance will be able to handle it easily._

 _Love,_

 _Saya.  
PS: The weapon is fully capable of mechashift into four different forms. Never use the forth unless you're about to die._

Mato frowned ever so slightly, trying to figure out what the warning meant. She knew that her handgun, Seven Shot, drew directly from her Aura to produce ammo from concentrated Dust, but the draw was rather low unless she put as much as possible into it. Maybe the different 'forms' had different draws? She did say that Seven Shot was the base of the weapon, after all. With that in mind, she opened the case. Anyone who passed by could have heard a pin drop as Ironwood, the Blue Team, and Mato stared at the gargantuan gun, no _cannon_ that Saya had made.

John coughed softly, "Umm… General, your weaponsmith is insane. How is Mato going to even fire that thing, much less lift it?"

Ironwood frowned, wondering exactly the same thing. Sure, Sing used an absolutely massive weapon system as well, but her Semblance was rather… unique. Even he knew that no two semblances were alike, barring the Schnees and their hereditary semblance. He opened his mouth to mention that to John, but was shocked into silence when Mato reached in and plucked the weapon out of the case as if it were a feather. She turned it over in her hands, scrutinizing every inch without realizing what she had done.

"Er… Mato, have you been working out?"

Mato looked up at Kelly, who didn't know whether to laugh or run away in terror at the sight of the pencil thin Mato holding a half tonne steel cannon. She frowned, shaking her head silently, before drawing her massive sidearm and sliding it into a slot at the… bottom(?) of the cannon. Almost immediately, bright blue lights lit up along the cannon. Mato stood up, gripping the cannon by its new grip and aiming down the barrel. The cannon didn't have any iron sights, thought with a barrel that big, she could probably aim in the general direction of the target and fire. She marvelled at the weapon, realizing it fit perfectly in her small grip. Mato looked up at Ironwood, her eyes shining with an unspoken question.

James cleared his throat, "I think we should test this… _thing_ in the arena."

Linda coughed, giving the weapon an odd look, "General, that thing should be fired out on the tank range!"

Mato nodded towards Linda, agreeing with her. She could feel the power humming through her new weapon. She didn't see a single way to load ammo into the massive object, though there were… intake ports? Maybe it drew on minute amounts of Dust in the air? What even was this thing? Ironwood seemed to pause, before reluctantly agreeing that it should be tested outside.

"We aren't going to the tank range though. They're testing the new Paladin prototypes there." the general lead them outside the front gates, pointing at a tree some several hundred metres out. "Mato… See if you can hit that."

Mato nodded, leveling the Cannon at it before raising the barrel to roughly 30 degrees. No wind… 1200 metres. Barrel size, 280 mm (what the hell was she going to use this thing against?) With a barrel this big, there should have been massive projectile drop. But when she pulled the trigger… there was nothing but a sharp whine that died out quickly. Everyone looked at the weapon in confusion, including Mato. Maybe the weapon didn't work? Fred snapped his fingers, "Mato, it's a bigger version of Seven Shot. You need to actively put aura into this one."

Mato considered his words. It made sense… sort of. She didn't really think about using Seven Shot though. It just fired. But it couldn't hurt to put a little effort into firing it. She let out a silent snarl, pullng the trigger again. SHe felt an odd twinge in her body as the whine began again, this time growing stronger. WIth a deafening boom, the cannon bucked in her hands and send a bright blue blast blazing through the air. It shot over the tree and kept going, never even slowing down or dropping. A DEW? Everyone looked at the weapon with a shocked expression.

"General, we need to get this Irino woman working for our R&D department!"

Ironwood nodded in agreement with Kelly's statement, gesturing at Mato to try again. Mato, who was irritated with herself for not guessing that firing this weapon would be different than a regular gun, gladly agreed, pouring another round of Aura into it. SHe had expected a massive drop, but was surpised when it felt like simply firing a full seven burst at low power. SOrt of. There was a massive draw, but it didn't _feel_ massive. She felt the twinge again, this time heavily concentrated in her left eye. With a roar, the cannon spat out another blue ball of energy, making a beeline to the tree. This time, it detonated with a shockwave that obliterated the small tree, leaving a smoking crater. The entourage stared dumbly at the remains, until Kelly let out a loud yelp, "Mato, your eye!"

James whirled around to see Mato staring at Kelly in confusion, with her left eye blazing with a brilliant blue flame. _Just like her mother._ Ironwood realized that Sing's semblance must have been hereditary, and Mato had just unlocked it completely. He didn't know if he should be congratulating her, or cursing his luck. If she had inherited the semblance, then there was another thing she may have inherited. The entire reason Sing had retired as a specialist. He would have to keep an eye on Mato. He knew that he could never convince her to not be a Specialist at this point, she had been through too much training, and now this.

"Alright, Mato. I think we should put the cannon away. You can practice with it later, when we aren't doing anything on the tank range." James put a hand on her shoulder, calming her down enough to extinguish the flame. "I'll see if Saya has anything that will allow the weapon to be carried while keeping your hands free."

Mato nodded, heading back to the weapon case. SHe was about to put the cannon back inside, when she realized there was a second part to the gift, a black harness. She set the cannon to the side, lifting the harness out. She didn't see any clips on the harness, but maybe… she hovered the largest part of the harness, the part she pressumed to be the back, over the cannon. It took a bit of searching, but eventually the cannon latched on with a sharp click. She tugged on it, noticing that it held firm. If her ability to lift the cannon was any indication, that meant the harness was pretty damned strong. She bit her lip, thinking carefully before putting a bit of aura into the cannon. ALmost immediately, the harness released the cannon, falling limply to the floor. INteresting. She grabbed the harness, carefully putting it on over her uniform. THen she picked the cannon up and hesitantly swung it over her back, grinning ever so slightly when the harness stuck to it. SHe still had about three foot of cannon sticking out over her shoulder, but it wasn't dragging on the ground.

She rolled her shoulders, not used to the weight on her back. As she did so, the cannon suddenly shuddered, collapsing in on itself until it was about the lengths of a short carbine. Seven Shot popped out of its slot, nearly falling to the floor if it weren't for Mato's reflexes. She turned to the General, who was watching her carefully. After a moment, he nodded, "Well, I suppose that solves that problem. Go get ready for dinner, Mato. Er… find somewhere to put the cannon that isn't going to get in the way." He sighed as Mato darted off to do as she was told, sinking into a chair.

John raised an eyebrow, "You look like hell, General. What's going on?"

Ironwood remained silent for several long moments, considering his words carefully. Before he could be prompted again, he shook his head, "John, do you remember why Sing Love retired early?"

The marine frowned, obviously not expecting the question. He glanced at Linda, who nodded. The sniper thought back to her academy years, recalling what she knew of Sing Love, "She was a rather sickly woman, kept to herself mostly. She loved to sing though, which her team considered ironic due to her name. The Apostles. That was her platoon's codename. It was strange, seeing a woman of her stature ordering some of those behemoths around. She was an excellent specialist though. I got a chance to look at her files, since I was the one who was on duty when she was being outprocessed. It was a mental illness of some sort, right?"

James nodded, "It was her semblance. The technical term for her Semblance type is 'Overdrive.' She produced massive amount of aura, too much for her body to handle, which is why she always looked rather sickly, much like her daughter does now. She was wickedly strong, and so long as she had aura, you would have been hard pressed to stop her. But once she ran out… She was a glass cannon." The general stopped to recall his friend, sorrow clouding his eyes. "But that wasn't the only price. The semblance put a strain on her mind, splintering it. The real Sing was kind and considerate to her allies, and an absolute terror to enemies. But her… _other half…_ She was a monster. The more she used her semlbance, the worse the splintering became."

Linda nodded, understanding dawning on her face, "So she got out of the military, to stop from using it."

The general nodded, "Yes. Sing was terrified that she would hurt someone if she lost control, so she got out of the military, and quit using her semblance altogether. I heard rumors that she underwent a procedure to seal her aura, removing any chance that she would lose herself."

Fredrick cleared his throat, "Er… General, why are you bringing this up now?"

Ironwood gestured in the direction that Mato went, "She talks in her sleep."

Kelly nearly spit out the water she was drinking, "Wait, Mato, little miss silence, can actually talk?"

James nodded, "Yes… and no. It isn't Mato talking, it's her other half. Just like her mother. It's telling her to… do things. On her own, Mato would never hurt anyone, I think. But she's starting to lose sleep, and I think she's hearing her other half when she's awake. She came out of the latrine one morning looking like she had seen a ghost."

John crossed his arms, furrowing his brow as he thought about the situation, "James, this sounds almost like she has two souls. Did you ever see the other side of Sing?"

Ironwood nodded, "Her eyes were pink, but they turned blood red when she lost control, and her… eye flame turned a similar colour. It was normally a bright pink, but turned a deep red. But two souls in a body is impossible."

John shrugged, "I've heard stories. She has too much aura, remember? What if both souls are bound together, but she can draw on both auras? When her own aura runs out, the other half takes control."

James scowled, about to reprimand John for making such an outlandish suggestion, but was interrupted by Linda, "That actually makes sense. It's like a Dissociative Identity Disorder, but based around Aura. If it's hereditary, that would also explain why it's so rare. I mean, up until recently, how many people with that sort of problem would survive to adulthood?"

The general sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Okay, let's say you're right, and Mato has this… second soul. How do we help her? I'm not going to stand by and let my daughter deal with this on her own."

Fredrick nodded, "First things first, we need to build up her tolerance for Auric usage. This is all going to be useless if she can't use a bit of aura without losing control. Once we know where she stands, we need to focus on keeping her mind in check. A semblance is generally linked to a person's emotions anyways, but it sounds like this other half could come out during times of emotional duress, like a normal case of DID. I suggest martial arts as a sort of vent and a way to keep her mind sharp and disciplined."

Kelly scoffed, "Of course you would suggest that. But, sir… You know what this means, right? Mato can't be a specialist. The academy would never allow someone with DID in."

Ironwood blanched, "Hold on, I'm the headmaster and General of the fleet. That has to count for something, right?"

Linda shook her head, "Sorry sir, but you're technically in charge of Atlasian FORSCOM, not TRADOC. And to be perfectly honest, I wouldn't want to risk her waking up from a potential episode after doing something terrible, or getting killed during one."

The rest of Blue Team nodded in agreement, making Ironwood realize how worried they were. Whether it was for the safety of their own soldiers, or for Mato, he didn't know, "So… Mato can't be a Specialist."

"No, sir," John sighed, hating himself for saying it. He and blue team had practically raised Mato for the last five years, with Ironwood only recently becoming more involved. "I don't know what to s- Shit."

All eyes turned towards the door, where John had suddenly directed his attention. Mato was standing there with a shocked expression. And from the look of the tears in her eyes, the mute girl had heard everything. Ironwood shot to his feet, "Mato, wait I-"

It was too late. Mato took off at a dead sprint, leaving the general and his team standing in a terse silence. Linda scowled, "Great… I was hoping we could break this to her gently. Now what the hell are we supposed to do?"

Ironwood gestured towards the door, "Find her, quickly. We have to make sure she doesn't hurt herself!" The soldiers watched in stunned amazement as the general took off at a dead sprint, chasing after his adoptive daughter

Kelly let out a low whistle, "Damn… I guess he really does care. I was wondering about that."

"Can it, Rabbit. Take the gardens. Fred, Linda, head to the firing ranges. I'll check the library. Courtyard is the RP. Meet in one hour. Go!" Blue team scattered, moving to follow the team leader's orders.

Ironwood's mind was racing as he sprinted through the corridors. His immediate thoughts held fear and concern for Mato. Was she going to hurt herself for this? No, she was too young to think like that… No, she wasn't. He had to remind himself that she wasn't a little girl anymore. She was 14 years old. In three years, she would be old enough to be spec… No, she couldn't do that anymore. He felt an odd pang in his heart as he realized that Sing's little girl wouldn't be able to follow in her footsteps. He slid to a halt as he approached Mato's room, his cybernetic body carrying him the last few metres. He knew that the floor would be severely scratched, but he didn't care. Mato could potentially be in danger. He noticed immediately that her door was cracked open, something that was odd for the usually very private girl. After taking a moment to compose himself, Ironwood carefully pushed the door open, looking around. He didn't come inside often, so it always amazed him that she kept her room so clean and orderly. Her clothes hung in the closet, boots and shoes were under the bed, neatly arrange, and her bed was always made. Though right now, she was curled up on top, wrapped in a heavy white, faded duster, "Mato… Are you alright?"

He silently cursed himself as she looked at him with a broken blue gaze, not making any effort to respond. She had just heard that she had something intrinsically wrong with her aura, and that she would never be a specialist. How was that okay in any way? He sighed, sitting down next to her on the bed. "Mato, I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to find out like this." He cautious reached out, placing a hand on her back. "Please, Mato… I just want to help."

The teen shot of the bed, clutching the duster around her shoulders and glaring at James. Her eye flame flared up, showing just how upset she was. She pointed angrily at the uniforms, then at the trash. Ironwood had never really had the patience to learn sign language, so she had to create her own little method of communicating with him early on.

"Mato, please calm down. I-"

The girl snorted and tapped her head with a sense of sarcasm that only a teenager could invoke. Oh yes, settle down so that her crazy side didn't come out!

"Mato, that isn't what I meant, and you know it!" Ironwood nearly winced as he raised his voice for the first time at the girl who had been living with him for six years now. But it worked. Mato took a hesitant step back, her eyes widening in shock. "Mato, I don't like this anymore than you. I would have been ecstatic to have you as a specialist, but your semblance… They would never let you join as a specialist in the Atlasian army, and… Linda's right. I don't control who gets to join."

Mato grit her teeth, struggling to communicate her frustration. Ironwood stood up after a moment of watching this, and pulled her into an awkward hug. Mato froze, not sure how to react. Once she had time to recover, she burst into tears, clinging to her father and crying her eyes out. This is what surprised Ironwood the most. She hadn't even cried at her mother's funeral, though that may have been from the shock. Broken bones, cuts and scrapes, even bullies… Mato had never cried once. To be fair, she made the bullies cry, but Ironwood was actually scared when she began crying in his arms. He slowly backed up, sitting down on the bed and just letting her cry. It was eerily silent, which was normal for the mute girl, but he could tell when she was starting to let up fifteen minutes later. He pulled a hankerchief from his breast pocket, lifting Mato's face and gently wiping her eyes.

"Mato… I know you wanted to be a specialist, but there _are_ other options out there." He looked at a nearby clock and sighed. "We can talk about this after dinner, okay? Mr. Schnee is coming over with his children, and that man… hmph."

Mato made a slight face, mimicking a mustach with her finger. James chuckled and nodded, "Yes, Mato… The man with the walrus mustache. Are you going to be okay for dinner?" Before she could answer, her stomach let out a loud growl. James had to stifle his laughter at Mato's indignant glare at her stomach. "I'll take that as a yes. Come on. Maybe a solution will present itself sooner than you think."

 **Fifteen Minutes Later**

"Ah, good evening, General Ironwood!"

Mato twitched as the iritating, grinding voice of Mr. Schnee reached her ears. She could hear her 'other half' begging her to kill him, and for once she was in agreement. But she couldn't do that. She forced herself to concentrate on the three children, two teen girls and one boy, standing behind him. She had met the eldest, Winter Schnee, several times already, as she was her father's protégé. She liked Winter. The teen was like an older sister to her, and gave her tips on her swordplay. It was strange, too. Despite being a fencer, Winter was exceptionally good with most blades, rarely keeping to any patterns or katas. Then there was her younger sister, Weiss. She had seen her once before, the last time the Schnee's had come to have dinner at Atlas Academy. She was around nine or ten when that had happened, and had refused to see them. She watched from an alcove, too nervous to show her face. She seemed, just like her father, but with a bit of her sister mixed in. Like she cared, but didn't know how to actually show it. Then there was the brother, Whitley Schnee. He was a few years younger than her, and yet he gave Mato the creeps. It was like seeing a miniature version of Jacques Schnee. Speaking of which, she noticed that the elder Schnee was watching her intently.

"So, you must be the General's charge!" Mr. Schnee gave an approximation of a 'merry smile' to the teenager, chuckling awkwardly. "You know, I was sure James was going senile when he said he had a daughter. What's your name?"

Mato merely watched him silently, not even bothering to acknowledge the man's attempts at interacting with her.

Jacques frowned, "Now see here, young lady. It's very rude not to answer your elders when they ask you a question."

Winter cleared her throat, looking slightly embarrassed as she spoke up, "Mato is mute, father. She _can't_ respond. I thought I told you that."

Jacques raised an eyebrow, "Did you? It must have slipped my mind. I never expected the General to take in someone with such a… handicap."

Mato narrowed her eyes, tempted to tell him to fuck off. Winter cringed, mouthing an apology to Mato behind her father's back. Ironwood however, did not hold his tongue so tightly. He crossed his arms, "Jaq, I am going to pretend I didn't hear that for the sake of our continued friendship. You came here for a reason, did you not?"

Jacques seemed to either not notice that he said something wrong, or simply didn't care. He waved Ironwood's anger away, "Yes, yes… Children, go… well, do whatever it is you do when the adults are talking. I'm sure dinner will be ready by the time James and I are through conducting business."

Mato glared at Jacques, trying to burn a hole in his head as he was lead away by Ironwood.

"Erm… Mato?"

She blinked silently, turning to face Winter and her siblings. A small, but tired smile appeared on her face as she gave a small wave.

Winter smirked, shaking her head, "I apologize for my father's actions. He-"

"Why should we be apologizing? He's right, after all." Whitley crossed his arms, looking up at Mato imperiously. "She can't even speak, and yet she's wearing that uniform you love so much, Winter. Is she slow in the head, too? A mute can't be a soldier. How would she communicate?"

Mato's small smile turned into a nasty grin as she glanced at Winter and sent a rapid fire message, _I just got my weapon from Miss Irino. Do you want to see it?_

Winter covered her mouth, trying to stifle a small giggle as she realized what Mato was doing. She nodded, sending her own message. _A new weapon? I'm sure you had a blast today._

 _Not really. Well, in a literal sense it was a blast. But… I'll tell you later._

Winter frowned slightly, but nodded, gesturing for Mato to lead the way, "Mato just got her weapon today, and she wants to show it to us."

As the Schnee trio followed Mato out of the main foyer, Whitley looked at his eldest sister in confusion, "Wait, what was that? How do you know what she wants?"

Weiss, who had been quiet up until now, scolded her brother, telling him to be quiet, "It's obvious that Mato knows sign language. She was _communicating_ with Winter. Honestly, how dense can you be?"

"Well, obviously not as dense as you, Miss-I-want-to-be-a-disgrace-to-the-family-and-go-to-Beacon-Academy!"

Mato paused ever so slightly at hearing that, glancing up at Winter with a silent question. The girl sighed, looking concerned, signing a message so her siblings couldn't understand what she was saying, _Weiss wants to go to Beacon Academy in Vale instead of staying at home to be raised as the Heiress. I'm all for her making something of her life, but why Beacon? Atlas has plenty to offer, too._

Mato thought quietly to herself, before hesitantly responding, _Maybe that's just what she wants. I'd probably want to get away from your father as well, no offense._

 _None taken._

Mato smiled at the older girl, opening the door to her dorm room. Winter immediately began a cursory inspection of the room, nodding with approval, "It looks nice, Mato. I can see you want to follow in the General's footsteps. Now, where's your… what in Oum's name is that?" Her eyes landed on Mato's desk, or rather, next to it. She walked over to the harness and the massive, collapsed cannon, attempting to pick it up. Even when she pushed her aura into her limbs, she couldn't even budge the monstrous weapon.

Mato tried not to laugh as she walked over, picking the weapon up with only a little effort. Once she had inserted Seven shot, she ran her aura through it to detach the harness and extend the weapon. All three Schnee siblings backed away with varying expressions of fear, amazement, and mild disgust. Weiss scoffed, "Ugh… Why would you have such a brute of a weapon? You're supposed to be a lady, not a… a… walking tank."

Whitley nodded, "As much as I hate to say this, I agree with my sister. A lady should not have such things. However, I think there's a more important question here… how on Remnant are you holding that… thing? Winter has monstrous strength, and even-ACK!"

Winter grabbed her brother by the head and began scraping her knuckles across his scalp, "What did you just say, you little runt?"

Mato laughed silently at the scene, while Weiss looked on in disapproval. Speaking of Weiss, she tapped the heiress on the shoulder, trying to get her attention. Knowing she relied on Winter to translate, she pointed at the older girl and then at her own mouth. Weiss frowned, but nodded in understanding, "Winter, I think Mato wants to ask me something."

Winter looked up, releasing her brother, who quickly began trying to straighten out his hair, "Oh, what is it?"

 _Weiss said something about going to Beacon Academy. But she's the Heiress to the SDC. How can she do that? I didn't think an academy could accept people with foreign interests._

Winter nodded, a slightly irritated look on her face, "The headmaster of Beacon Academy is much more… _accommodating_ than we are in Atlas. Because Beacon trains Huntsmen and Huntresses, they have much more leeway than Atlas and other academies when it comes to choosing who they let in. Of course, their initiation tests are much more dangerous because of it. While Atlas trains soldiers, Beacon trains warriors."

Mato's eyes seemed to shine as she rapidly began signing, _So, if I wanted to go to Beacon Academy, do you think I could get in?_

Winter's face changed from mildly irritated, to confused and a bit shocked, "I'm sure you could, Mato. But why? You're training to be a Specialist already, and I'm positive that the General is grooming you to be his successor when you're old en- Mato, what's wrong?"

Mato, who was trying with extreme difficulty to hold back tears, lowered her head and reluctantly signed, _There's something wrong in my head. I want to be a Specialist like you, but TRADOC isn't going to allow me to be one._

To say Winter looked shocked was an understatement. She had known Mato for the last two years now, and she had met her several times before that, as the General asked her to watch Mato when he and Blue Team were out on diplomatic events and council meetings. The girl was quiet, obviously, and had been nothing but polite. She did have a rather dry sense of humor, much like Ironwood. In fact, Winter had to say that Mato acted and moved like a young soldier. And now she was learning that Mato couldn't be what she was. "Mato… I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I think Beacon would be very lucky to get someone like you _and_ Weiss. Maybe the two of you could bring some discipline if you make it over there. However, this is probably something to bring up to th-er… Your father."

Mato nodded, wiping her eyes. She had been crying more often as of late, which irritated her to no end, though she attributed it to a lack of sleep. _Thank you, Winter. I bet father could easily make Beacon's headmaster at least let me have a chance. I think John and his team are about to work me into the ground to try and control whatever's wrong with me, so that's good…_

Both girls shuddered slightly, well aware of what Blue Team was capable of when it came to hard work. Wiess was surprised to see the two of them interacting so well, and made a mental note to learn Sign Language as soon as possible. Maybe it would impress Winter… She checked her watch, "Uh, Winter. I think dinner is about ready. Should we go back down?"

Mato's eyes flashed to the clock in her room, and she nodded in agreement, gesturing out of her room as she collapsed the cannon and set it down gingerly next to her desk. Beacon Academy. She had never considered going to another academy, but with the events of today, it might be her best option. She wasn't sad, not really… Just disappointed. She loved Atlas. The Specialists… This was what she knew best. But she had to get ready for the next step, along with everything else in between. Training with her weapon, her semblance, controlling the monsters in her mind. So many things to do. As the four teens left Mato's dorm, Winter couldn't help but smile at Mato's expression. She had seen the same expression on the General's face when he was plotting his next fifteen moves against an unknown, potentially nonexistent enemy.

 _ **Alright, so I hope you were able to keep up with this chapter. Mato got her weapon, the Schnee's were introduced, with a brief show of Papa Schnee being the assholish bigot he is. I think I nailed him in that aspect. A younger Schnee trio, with Winter acting like a typical teenage soldier, Weiss acting like Weiss, and the sibling rivalry between Whitley and Weiss was hinted at. Mato has her Semblance unlocked, and her weapon is ready to go! Next chapter… Well, I'm not sure if I want to jump to Beacon or have another chapter of young Mato. There isn't much else to cover, really. Just some training… Tell me what you think in the reviews!**_


	5. Tremors of the Mind and Memories

_**And here's another chapter for my readers. I hope you like action, because this one is about to punch you in the face, despite the short scene it has. The majority of this chapter is actually going to centre around Ironwood and him realizing how much he's screwed up. It's sort of a precursor to Mato actually going to Beacon. There might be one last chapter of young Mato, but I think this is it. She's about to head off to beacon. Tell me what you think! I always love to read your reviews. And if you want to support me, head on over to my Patron page. /Writing_Soldier**_

Ironwood paced silently outside Ozpin's office elevator, his blue eyes shimmering with a troubled light. When his daughter first put forward the idea of going to Beacon Academy, he thought she was more than a little crazy, but then Winter reminded him exactly who Ozpin was. As eccentric as the headmaster was, Ozpin always listened and considered every eventuallity, even more so than the general himself. But still, he felt worried about handing over his daughter to a foreign nation…

"James, what are you doing here?"

He looked up from his pacing, sighing when he saw his old friend, Glynda Goodwitch, "Good evening, Glynda. I came to speak to Ozpin."

Glynda's eyes widened. Ironwood never came to Ozpin unless something important was going on or if he had bad news. She marched over to the elevator, waving her scroll in front of the access pad to activate it, "What's going on? Did something happen to your artifact? Is your kingdom's maiden okay?"

Ironwood nodded, raising his hands placatingly, "Please, Glynda. It's nothing like that. My daughter wants to attend Beacon."

That one threw Glynda for a loop. She froze and glanced back at Ironwood, "Daughter? I er… Oh, yes. I remember now. Your friend died and made you the godfather of her child. Mato, was it?"

Ironwood nodded, stepping onto the elevator with Glynda, "Yes. Mato wants to try and attend Beacon Academy. I was hoping to speak to Ozpin about it."

Glynda frowned slightly, "Why Beacon? I'm sure you would much rather have your own figurative flesh and blood attending your own academy, correct?"

He sighed, a forlorn expression on his face, "Yes… We both would. But a problem has arisen that will not allow her to be part of the Specialist program. I'll explain more once I see Ozpin…"

The two of the rode up to Ozpin's tower office in silence. Glynda watched Ironwood carefully. She had never seen him look this nervous. Whatever had prevented his daughter from joining Atlas was obviously pretty prominent if he was coming to see Ozpin personally. It slightly worried the usually unflappable woman to see Ironwood worked up this much. _He must really care about this child..._

The elevator opened up to allow the duo to enter Ozpin's office. The headmaster looked up from his paperwork with a mildly suprised expression, "James? I wasn't expecting you until next month's meeting. Is something wrong?"

Ironwood paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, "Ozpin, I am going to be rather blunt. My daughter wishes to attend this school when she is old enough."

Ozpin reacted rather similarly to Glynda, raising an eyebrow at the statement, "Wait, your daughter, the heiress to your legacy, does not wish to attend your own academy? I must say, I was not expecting that. Would you care to elaborate as to why she has come to this decision? PLease, have a seat."

Both Vale natives were surpised, yet again, when Ironwood actually took the offered seat with a sigh, "Thank you, Ozpin... As for why she isn't going to attend my school, it's because of her semblance, and what it entails."

Ozpin frowned, thinking carefully, Mato was not the General's biological daughter, so she more than likely wouldn't have a similar semblance. However, "She's the progeny of the late Sing Kuroi, formally known as Sing Love, correct?"

"Yes. It seems that she has inherited her mother's semblance, along with the difficulties that come with it."

Ozpin was beginning to grow concerned. He had never seen his friend dance around a topic like this, "James, just tell me what's wrong."

Ironwood looked out the window of Ozpin's office, watching the clouds drift across the sky. He hadn't realized how difficult this would be. As general to the largest military force on Remnant, he rarely dealt with the personal issues of his soldiers. After a moment, he shook his head, "Mato has an Overdrive Semblance. It forces her to produce too much aura, and the effect is similar to having two souls in her body. It places strain on her mind and body, resulting in something similar to Dissociative Identity Disorder. Because of that, my miltary's TRADOC will never allow her to join. She learned of the possibility of going to Beacon through Weiss Schnee, and presented the idea to me."

Ozpin nodded, remaining silent for a moment as he processed the information, "So... Your daughter wishes to come here because your military will not accept her. You can't give her a waiver of some sort?"

Ironwood shook his head, "Unfortunately not... As much as I would love to help her, I am not allowed to. Please, Ozpin... My daughter was crushed when she learned that she couldn't be a specialist, I don't want her last glimmer of hope to be removed as well."

Ozpin and Glynda both had identical expressions of shock on their face, as neither of them ever expected General James Ironwood of all people to ask for help in this fashion, much less for another person. Ozpin considered his options. He could easily allow someone with DID into his school, but there would be a risk to other students dependant upon the student's control over their symptoms. He inclined his head towards James, a curious light in his eyes, "Let's say I allow her into the school. Would Mato be able to control the adverse effects of her semblance?"

James nodded, "Of course. She still has three years until she's old enough to join your Academy. Blue Team is working to increase her Auric endurance and control as we speak."

 _ **Menwhile, in Atlas:**_

"Faster, Mato! First day recruits can take down the training droids in half the amount of time!"

Mato scowled, cleaving a droid in two with a tired slice from Black Blade. She had been at this for three hours now, fending off wave after wave of battle droids while Kelly yelled 'words of encouragement' from the observation deck. The arena was littered with the sparking remains of droids, with Mato standing in the centre of the wreckage. A creaking sound made her spin around to intercept the next attack, but a combination of exhaustion and frayed nerves caused her to perform the maneuver too late, and she received a heavy shock from a stun baton, courtesy of Kelly in her heavy armour. The green, metal goliath leaned over her, frowning behind her helmet, "What's going on, kid? You're never this slow. I've seen you take down a small army of these things on a daily basis, and yet you've barely gone 15 rounds today."

Mato averted her eyes, slowly dragging herself back to her feet. She glanced up at the training arena's combatant display, showing her still at nearly full aura. And yet, she looked completely done for. Kelly frowned, thinking silently to herself. While she may not have been as booksmart as Linda or Fred, she had by far the better people skills. So, it didn't take long for her to figure out what was going on, "You're afraid to use your semblance."

Mato winced at the statement, letting Kelly know that she had hit her mark. The Blue Team scout sighed, crossing her arms, "Listen, Mato. I get that you're afraid. Hurting someone because you can't control your semblance is something I go through every day." She held up a hand as Mato leveled an indignant glare at her. "It's true. My speed semblance is similar to yours as in it's impossible to turn off. I have to be careful not to accidentally move too fast, for fear of injuring my team, or one of the trainees during sparring sessions. Hell, I accidentally knocked John out when he and Fred tried to prank me, and that man's semblance makes it nearly impossible to put him down for very long."

Mato frowned, pointing at her head. Accidentally hurting someone wasn't the same as having a literal monster threatening to unleash bloody murder on everyone. Surprisingly though, Kelly nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I might not have the same problem as you exactly… But we both have the same solution. Practice. I needed practice to control my semblance, as do you. But in addition to that, we need to get your tolerance up for _using_ that semblance. Overdrive is an insanely powerful semblance, despite its drawbacks. One of which should be pretty obvious to you after what I just did."

Mato glared at Kelly as she waved the stun baton cheekily. That's when Mato realized what she was referring to. Her own aura was nearly full, and yet she felt the full brunt of that shock and impact. She didn't have an auric shield! But how was she supposed to stay alive?

Kelly grinned, pulling out a datachip, "Tell you what… Use your semblance until your aura is in the red, and then if you still can't figure out why you don't have a shield, I'll show you a little footage of your mother participating in a fighting tournament."

Mato's eyes lit up, and she signed, _If I get through the whole training course, you show it to me anyways._

Kelly laughed, nodding as she headed back to the observation deck, "You got yourself a deal, kid. After that, we'll take a break and then head over to the tank range for some target practice with that artillery piece you call a mobile infantry weapon."

Mato nodded, grinning as she readied her blade again. This time though, she held it in one hand while her other hand drew Seven Shot. Her body seemed to revitalize itself as she allowed her semblance to flow freely through her body. Her eye flame sputtered once, twice, before catching and blazing to life.

"Alright, Mato. Let's see what you can do!"

The gates holding back the training drones opened up, ready to go to war against Mato. This particular training sequence was made for platoon sized echelons working together against wave after wave of tens of drones. But Mato was in a class of her own because of her semblance. She blasted forward, the ground cracking under her feet from the force of her movement. The first row of drones had no time to react as Mato cut clean through them with her first slice, cutting down five in one go. The rest were systematically downed with unnervingly accurate gunfire from her handgun. As she fought, the grin on Mato's face faded. Her mind quickly began to calm itself, focused completely on destroying the targets before her. Unbeknownst to her, Kelly had actually decided to scale the ante up, authorizing live ammunition on the drones and lethal strikes. Mato felt small impacts, tiny slivers of pain, and a small blue sheen appeared around her. Not her aura, she thought idly, slamming a foot into the head of a drone and knocking it clean off. She didn't have any sheilding. But it wasn't hurting her, so it didn't matter. A blade swiped in front of her face, brought her back into focus again, and stabbed the offending drone, flinging him off her blade with a flick of her wrist.

In the observation deck above, Kelly was besides herself with with glee as she watched Mato tear through the small army of drones. She put the simulation on a garrison setting, giving Mato a continuous line of targets to terminate. She was moving almost as fast as Kelly could, either desperate to get through the drones, or to see the video. She wasn't sure which, but it made for excellent entertainment in the scout's opinion. Unfortunately, she wasn't watching Mato's auric levels, which despite her being in the last stretch of the course, quickly began to shift into the red. Her eyes widened as the alarm blared, quickly shutting off the flow of drones. But there were still many more to go. She quickly put out a call to Fredrick, telling him that Mato was about to hit auric exhaustion, before grabbing her assault rifle and rushing to the arena floor. Her blood ran cold when she laid eyes on Mato again, ripping through drones. Her eye flame was stretched out several feet behind her head now, with bright red streaks of fire spurting from her eye now. Her face was rigid, a mixture of no emotion whatsoever… and pure, unadulterated rage. She suddenly shuddered to a stop, her body twitching. Unfortunately there were two more drones in the arena, both of whom took their chance and struck Mato. The first managed a glancing blow (relatively speaking), that cut deep into Mato's right side. The second one impaled her, right below the ribs. Kelly yelled out in horror at the sight of a bright, shining blade sticking out of Mato's back. But Mato didn't seem to feel it. Her face was staring out, looking at something that couldn't be seen. Kelly would have thought she was dead if it weren't for the eye flame still burning on her face. It slowly began to die down, the red and blue flames merging to form a thin streak of purple light. After a few seconds, it burst into a brilliant, violet flame, and an enraged scream ripped from Mato's throat. Her eyes, usually so bright and vibrant, were dully, lifeless, and completely out of contrast with the hate filled expression on her face. She grabbed the face of the drone impaling her, crushing it with a sadistic grin before ripping the blade out of her body and using it to impale the second drone without hesitation. Then she turned her eyes on Kelly, speaking in a harsh, whispering rasp, "K-Kill… You…"

The marine backed away from the girl fear in her eyes at the insane amounts of aura pouring from her. Blue team had theorized that she produced enough aura for two souls, but this was something completely unheard of! She watched as the two gaping wounds in her chest and side sealed themselves, producing harsh black scars. She noted absently that it seemed this side of Mato couldn't heal as efficiently as the real one. And she could speak, "Mato… Please, I know you're in there. You need to fight it. Fight her, M-ACK!"

Insane (for that is what Kelly had dubbed this Mato), suddenly shot forward, a sonic boom resonating as she broke the sound barrier with ease. Kelly may have been fast, but she wasn't _that_ fast! She barely had time to raise her hands before Insane slammed into her chest, denting the armour and sending Kelly flying through the wall of the arena. She heard Fredrick curse as she sat up, wheezing, "Fred? Is that you?"

"Kelly, what the hell is going on!?" The marine helped his comrade to her feet, trying to peer through the cloud of dust produced by Kelly's rather unorthodox exit. "Where the hell is Mato?"

Again, the voice spoke, sending shivers down both of their spines. "Mato isn't here anymore…" The dust was blown away by the sheer pressure of Mato's aura. Emotionless purple eyes stared at them from a sadistic face. In one hand she clutched Black Blade, in the other, the jagged piece of metal that was formed when she killed the last drone with its brother's blade. Her uniform was in absolute tatters, unable to take the strain of her speed and strength. "But we don't need her when I'm having fun."

Fredrick swallowed nervously, "Kelly… Who the hell is this?"

"It's Mato. Only this is the other half of her."

Fredrick looked at the Mato imposter and shook his head, watching her come closer with slow, predatory steps, "No. Our little Mato would never act like this… What the hell do we do?"

Kelly massaged her chest, grimacing, "Run."

Fredrick didn't have to be told twice, he picked Kelly up and threw her over his shoulders, taking off at a dead sprint, "Keep her busy!"

Kelly nodded in understanding, pulling Fred's sidearm from his waist and taking aim at Insane, "I'm sorry, baby girl…"

Mato's eyes flickered in irritation as a bullet whizzed past her head, pinging off behind her. The second one slammed into her kneecap, sending her to the ground for a moment before she stood back up. The sadistic grin never left her face as she slowly followed the two terrified marines. They all knew that she could kill them with ease. But what she didn't know was that they weren't running away aimlessly. She followed them until they had left the building, stopping outside the courtyard. Somehow, they had vanished from her sight. A frown finally appeared on her face as she looked around. Where did-

She never got to complete that thought as a behemoth in green armour slammed into her, bright yellow shields flaring to life around him. Insane screamed in outrage as she was thrown into a pillar, causing it to tumble down onto her. She threw the rubble off of her, only to be knocked down as an electrically charged sniper round slammed into her face. The force of the shot caused her to do a full backflip, landing on the ground in convulsions. Still, she tried to get to her feet, only for the behemoth to pick her up and slam her into the ground, cracking it. She looked up at the yellow visor, snarling like an animal at it.

John punched her in response. The force of the blow sent a shockwave through the ground, blowing out a crater below them. Mato's eye flame still blazed brightly, showing that she was still conscious. However, she seemed stunned, giving John the chance to pick her up and toss her into the sky. Linda, positioned on the far side of the courtyard, took aim with her sniper rifle, shooting her twice with electro-rounds before she fell again. John grabbed her by the leg, slamming her into the ground repeatedly until she stopped moving. The purple flame in her eye flickered weakly, though Mato herself seemed somewhat uninjured through her Semblance's healing ability. She let out an inarticulate groan, before her eyes rolled back and the flame went out. The oppressive air created by her massive aura dissipated, and John finally released her. Kelly and Fred limped out from the bushes they had dove into for cover, looking down at the unconsious girl with a fearful air.

"By Oum… What the hell was that?"

John looked down at Mato's sleeping form, a shiver of an unfamiliar emotion, fear, running down his spine, "I think we just saw Mato's other soul. And it's more powerful than we thought." He bent down, raising one eyelid before breathing a sigh of relief at the bright blue eye he saw. She was back to normal… if unconscious now.

Linda nodded, walking up from her sniper position, "I don't think she can access her other half's aura either."

"Insane," Kelly winced, struggling to breath with her crushed armour. "That's what I called her. Not as a description. As her name."

Linda cursed, moving to Kelly's side, "Kelly, what in Oum's name happened to you?"

The injured marine pointed at Mato, "She punched me… I think."

"You think?! Kelly, it looks like a Nevermore pecked you!:

Kelly nodded, "Feels like it, too. One moment I was trying to talk her down, the next moment she breaks the freaking sound barrier and puts me through the arena wall!"

Linda finally managed to pry the damaged armour off, checking her ally for internal injuries, "Well, I guess you got the speedster you wanted. Stop moving!"

Kelly hissed in pain as Linda pressed on a particularlly tender spot, "Just my luck that she happens to be hell bent on killing anything that moves under the sun."

Linda rolled her eyes, backing away, "Looks like a few bust ribs. Nothing punctured the lungs, luckily. You should be able to get to the infirmary under your own power."

She nodded, looking resigned to her fate. However, before she left, Kelly pulled out the datachip containing Sing Love's fight, "Show this to Mato when she wakes up. It's her mother in a tournament."

Linda nodded, pocketing the video before picking Mato up, "John, you should probably get ahold of the General. He'll want to know what happened. Let him know that we've contained it though. Fredrick, go with Kelly and make sure she makes it to the infirmary safely."

The other Marines nodded, getting to their tasks. Despite Linda not being the commanding officer, they all knew that this was no time to be pulling rank.

 _ **Five Minutes Later, in John's quarters.**_

"She did what!?"

John grimaced at the voice on the other end of the line, "Mato was going through a training exercise we use to show the effects of Auric exhaustion in combat, and her other half surfaced. The arena now has a hole in it, Kelly was injured, and the courtyard suffered extensive damage in our… encounter." John swallowed nervously at the silence that rang out from his General. It wasn't good when he was silent like this. "Sir, I-"

"Is she okay? Is my daughter safe?"

Chief sighed, nodding, "Yes. We had to hit her with a few electric rounds and knock her unconscious, but she's back to normal. I think she's sleeping it off right now. How did the meeting go with Ozpin?"

Ironwood sighed, "Oscar agreed to accept her in the school, provided that she can control her semblance and pass the initiation. To be fair, that's a given for any student at Beacon… I'm on my way back now. My VTOL should arrive in a few hours."

"Understood, sir. What should we tell Mato?"

Ironwood paused, considering his choices, "Well, I think that's up to you this time. One of your own was injured by her losing control. What do you think?"

John groaned inwardly. Of course an officer was telling his enlisted personnel to make a decision like this… "Well, sir. I think we should tell her. She needs to know what happens when she loses control. Maybe it will prevent future breaks. Or at least help her fight it when it does happen."

"Very well, Chief. I'll leave you to it. And Chief… try to break it to her a bit softer than one of your marines. She's still a-."

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to have to stop you there. Mato is not a child. She's 14 years old, going on 15 next week. She's been trained by your personal team, and despite what the fools at TRADOC say, she's got the potential to be a damn good soldier. You may not be able to see it, but my team and I do, every day. She want's to be like you so badly it hurts." John didn't even let James get a word in edgewise, tearing into the general. "I understand that you wish to be a part of her life now, but where was this six years ago, when she arrived on your doorstep, orphaned and traumatized by the death of her own mother in front of her eyes? Her other side… It's filled with hatred. Rage. Every negative emotion that she has ever had has been placed in some dark corner of her mind, and it became this creature. Now, I'm not placing the blame on you specifically. My team and I aren't exactly the best at raising a child. But when I look at her, I see a miniature version of you, General. And she doesn't understand how you act, not entirely.

"She sees you listen to reports of teams lost in the field, parents leaving your office weeping at the news that their children will never be coming home again. She sees this, and throughout it, you never once show a sign of humanity up front. You are always the calm and collected General who takes the hits and keeps going. Oh, sure. You're passionate about _preventing_ death, but when the Second Brother comes knocking, you don't bat an eye. She wants to emulate you sir, but the combination of her own semblance, her past, and your behavior have turned her other side into a monster that would make Salem herself tremble in fear!"

Silence rang out in John's quarters as the irritated marine panted slightly, struggling to keep his temper in check. Ironwood remained quiet, unable to form a response to John's accusations. He knew they were true. He had never been a father to Mato, even recently. He may have achieved the pale immitation of one, but she had never seen him as anything remotely close to a parental figure. The Blue Team held more title to that. John heard a sigh as Ironwood slumped in seat on the VTOL, before saying with a tired voice, "I'm sorry, John… Truly, I am. You and your team have done an excellent job in raising Mato. But, what should I do? I've tried connecting with her. I took her to Sing's favorite weapon shop. I've tried telling her stories about Sing's exploits to give her some sort of memory of her mother. But… I can't seem to figure it out. I've read books, I've planned and planned to no avail. Hell, I've even read up on psychology to see if I can help her speak again. Nothing. I can barely even communicate with her, too."

"You always were a horrible linguist, James."

The general scowled, a hint of annoyance tinting his tone, "Not helping, John… But yes. I'm lost. I don't know what to do. So many years in the service. So many battles fought… No, I never even fought them. I always sat in the back, ordering troops around the field. I haven't actually been in the field in ages…"

John rubbed the bridge of his nose, a headache forming rather quickly, "James, I'm only going to say this one more time. Mato isn't a child. Nor is she a soldier. She's not some battlefield you can strategize through. She's a lonely, teenage girl who idolizes her father. Her only friend is your protégé, Specialist Schnee. Maybe you should ask her a few questions about Mato. I know you have her with you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go see if Mato's awake yet."

James looked down at his scroll, unsure how to feel at the moment. He glanced up as Winter entered the main cabin, having stepped into the cockpit when John called. He frowned, "Spec… Winter, what do you know about Mato? I understand that you're close friends with her."

Winter blinked owlishly, not expecting the question, she cleared her throat nervously, wondering if this was some sort of test, "M-Mato, sir? She's a nice girl. Not too fond of guns, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone shoot as accurately as her. Is something wrong, General?"

Ironwood nodded, "There was an incident with Mato back at Atlas, and it's making me realize how little I actually know my own daughter."

"She lost control of her semblance, didn't she?"

The general looked sharply at Winter, stunned by what he heard, "How do you know about her semblance? Did Blue Team tell you?"

Winter shook her head, "No, sir. Mato told me a bit about her situation. Is she okay?"

He nodded, "Blue Team had to rough her up a bit, but it sounds like they took harder hits. Petty Officer Kelly was injured, and there was extensive damage done to the arena and it sounds like Chief ended up going toe to toe with the other side of Mato, causing damages to the courtyard as well."

Winter's eyes widened, "Mato would never do that though! She would rather die than hurt her family! And wait... She held her own against _the_ Master Chief?"

James shook his head, "Please focus, Winter. John said you were friends with my daughter. I want to get to know her better and help her before she goes to Beacon."

Winter's eyes softened, and she sighed, "Mato's a quiet girl, and I'm not talking about the fact that she can't speak. She doesn't interact with others very well, especially within her own age group. I swear, I thought she was about to throttle father and Whitley that last time they came out."

James raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. His daughter had a temper? She had never displayed any sign of wanting to hurt anyone, barring the White Fang. Sure, she may have been rather agressive when sparring, but he had always attributed that to being trained by Blue Team. Then he really compared the styles of Blue Team's CQC expert, Fred, and Mato. Fredrick, while brutal, used calm, methodical strikes to incapacitate his opponents. Mato... She was lightning fast. Every blow was meant to be a finishing blow. She didn't spar, she fought. After a moment, he nodded, "That certainly explains her... passion in fighting."

Winter barely held back her chuckle, "Sir, she excels at CQC because she hates using her er... weapon thing. I'm still not sure what to call it."

"Wait, she still has trouble with guns? I thought we had fixed that a while ago!" James sighed at Winter's confused expression. "She saw her mother shot in the back several years ago, right before I adopted her. She was absolutely terrified of guns after that. I thought I had fixed it once I showed her that a gun wasn't going to jump up and kill her on its own."

Winter shook her head quickly, "I don't think she's scared of the gun itself, sir. I think she just doesn't like guns, period. If I recall... Oh, yes, 'A blade doesn't jam, or run out of ammo. Nor does it malfunction when wet, and it's still serviceable when it breaks.'"

James smiled ever so slightly, before realizing Winter had quoted his daughter, "Wait, you know sign language?"

Winter nodded, smiling softly, "Yes, sir. I ended up meeting Mato my first week as a specialist, and I picked it up from her. Well, some of it. Then I learned the rest so I could keep talking to her. She seemed lonely."

James silently cursed himself. His own protege, still a student in Atlas, had time to learn Sign Language, and yet he hadn't bothered himself. He sighed, "Thank you Winter. Can you go see how long until we land?"

The specialist nodded, snapping a quick salute before disappearing into the cockpit. James leaned forward in his seat, staring out the window. He had failed his daughter... His only hope was to somehow fix their non-existant relationship before she was sent to Beacon.


End file.
